Shield for bowling alleys



A.BOUCHER SHIELD FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Aug. 4, 1925.

Filed Jan. 19. 1925 INVENTORr fldemz Zoucfi BY ATT RNEYS.

Patented Aug. 4i, i925 a y a t i r: r t? Mi li a ALFRED G. PELLETIEB,

SHIELD FOB BOVILING .1

Application filer January 19, 1925.

To all rel-m it may concern:

Be it known that l, Annnnnn Bononnn, a citizen of Canada, residing at i finchen don, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Shields for Bowling Alleys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a shield or guard .intended for use in bowling alleys to protect the pin boys from danger of being struck by flying pins, the invention having for an object the provision of a novel guard of this sort which may be readily swung into and out of operative position, and which is preferably positioned at the intersecting wall between the pits of two alleys.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will had to the follo *ing description and accompanying drawing and to the appended eEaims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a perspective view showing my improved device in posi tion on a bowling alley.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the device, this view being taken along the line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a detail perspective view of one of the hinges.

Briefly speaking, my improved device as here shown comprises three shields which are placed at the pin end of the alley, and are mounted on the wall between two alleys, one of the shields being lined in place, while the other two shields are hinged to the first one. The fixed shield is indicated generally at and comprises a suitable wire screen 10 attached to a vertically elongated rec tangular frame 10 This shield is positioned in a common plane with said wall directly above the wall 11 between the two alleys, at the pin end of the latter, and is fixed in position by suitable means. As here shown the frame 10 has fixed thereto a pair of rods 12 and 12 that extend respectively upward and downward to be fixed respectively to the ceiling of the alleys and the wall 11.

The hinged shields are shown at 14 and 15 015 VIIHCHLNLDQIIE, EtIASfiIACiIUSETTS.

Serial No. 3,245.

respectively and are attached by means of hinges to the rear edge of the screen 10, being of like construction to the said shield 10. The. hinges each comprise the leaves 16 and 16 attached respectively to the fixed shield and to the sv. -gable shields.

For convenient swinging and positioning of these hinged shields 14!: and 15 I may provide the following means. The shields are arranged for slight vertical movement, being supported by coiled expansion springs l7 that surround their hinge pintles and are provided at their top ends with looking bolts 19 d 20 respectively that are vertically slidable in suitable borings 21 in the said top enls, the upper ends of these bolts engaging in selected ones of a series of apertures 22 in a horizontal keeper plate 23 lined to the rod or post 12. Fixed to these bolts are laterally projecting fingers that project from the shield frames through vertical slots at in the. latter, the linger on the bolt 19 being indicated at 25 and the Finger on the bolt 20 at 26. The adjacent ends of these lingers are formed with overlapping arcuate plates 2? and 28 the former being bifurcated to receive the latter, so that by this arrangement the bolts may be caused to move vertically in unison. Each of the bolts is urged upward to locking position by an expansion spring 30 that surrounds its lower end and bears upward against the linger on the bolt. Fixed to the hinge edges of the shields 14 and 15 are the gear segments 32 and 33, the former being vertically elongated as shown.

The pin boy sits, when the balls are being rolled, on the usual shelf 35 on the wall 11 at the back of the alleys, and in position directly behind the fixed shields being thereby sheltered by the hinged shields which are locked by the bolts 19, 20 in such position as he may desire. When the pins are to be set up the pin boy pulls downward on either shield, lowering this screen bodily, and thereby releasing its bolt from the keeper plate 23. At the same time the bolt on the other shield is likewise lowered, so that the shields can be swung to a desired position while the pins are being set up, the two shi lds swinging in unison by reason of their connection to one another through the gear segments 32 and When the pins are set up, the boy returns to the shelf 35,

Q r V 1,548,437

pressing the shield downward and swinging both the shields together to the desired position, and then releasing the shield and allowing the spring 30 to move upward, carrying with it its locking bolt, and allowing the locking bolt on the other screen to likewise move upward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a bowling alley comprising two adjoining alleys, and a division wall between said alleys at the pin end thereof, a compound pin boy shield comprising three members one of which is fixed to and above said wall and extends therealong, and the other two of which are hinged to the rear edge of the first named member.

2. In a bowling alley con'iprising two adjoining alleys, and a division wall between said alleys at the pin end thereof, a compound pin boy shield comprising three members one of which is fixed to and above said wall and extends therealong, and the other two of which are hinged to the rear edge of the first named member, said shields comprising wire screens and rectangular frames on which said screens are mounted.

3. In a bowling alley comprising two adjoining alleys, and a division wall between said alleys at the pin end thereof, a compound pin boy shield comprising thr e inenr bers one of which is fixed to and above said wall and extends therealong, and the other two of which are hinged to the rear edge of the first named member, and gear connections between the said hinged shields where by they may be caused to swing together.

In a bowling alley comprising two adjoining alleys, and a division wall between said alleys at the pin end thereof, a compound pin boy shield comprising three members one of which is fixed to and above said wall and extends therealong, and the other two 'of which are hinged to the rear edge of the first named member, and gear connections between the said hinged shields whereby they may be caused to swing together,

locking bolts mounted on the said hinged shields, a keeper element with which said bolts co-operate, and means for operating said bolts in unison.

In a bowling alley comprising two adjoining alleys, and a division wall between said alleys at the pin end thereof, a compound pin boy shield comprising three members one of which is fixed to and above said wall and extends therealong, and the other two of which are hinged to the rear edge of the first named member, springs supporting said hinged shields to permit of vertical novenient thereof, locking ibolts carried by said hinged shields and vertically movable thereon, a keeper plate co-operating with said bolts, said bolts being movable to and from operative position by vertical movement of said sl1ields,and elements projecting from the respective bolts and overlapping one-another whereby the said bolts are caused to move together in unison.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

- ADELARD BOUCHER. 

